The angry voter and the coffee shop

Another angry voter came roaring into that first cup of coffee this morning.

After a 5 minute soliloquy on how the government doesn’t know anything about economics, he tore a story out of the paper as proof. Not just proof but absolute proof.

The article, Treasury to sell Citigroup shares, proved none of his talking points.

To him it proved that politicians are manipulating the ‘market’s’ to benefit themselves and their cronies.

“Warren Buffet would not have announced the sale of 1.5 billion shares in Citigroup! It [the announcement] will drive down the stock price! And the insiders will steal the stock!”

Not a well articulated argument. He was pretty much saying that government insiders are going public with a planned sale of stock to hide a secret get rich plan.

When he was asked, what would you think if the government insiders sold it secretly? He said that would be fine. “I’d benefit more as a taxpayer!”

He was angry. He was white. And he was 65 years old.

If the ‘government’ had secretly sold ‘his’ stock, he would have alleged insider trading.

When the government bought the stock and bailed out the banking system, he probably screamed socialism.

As it is, he could buy the stock under his theory of the price being depressed to benefit ‘insiders’ and make a nice profit. If he didn’t own a $2 million dollar lake house and a home in Atlanta. If he had any ‘free money’ to risk in the stock market. IF, if, if …

Was he angry because he couldn’t sell his $2 million dollar house? Oh yeah.

Was he transferring the blame to the government? Maybe.

Did he get hurt by the market when he didn’t actually do anything wrong. Yes, just like most people. Maybe more so since he spent $2 million dollars to own a view of a public lake.

He went on to blame immigrants and politicians for recreating Tijuana on every street corner in our ‘great country.’

Nothing will make that man happy. And he will vote his anger this fall.

Despite his self-declared status as an ‘Independent,’ he’ll vote for the same slate of incumbents as he always has. As long as the incumbents tell the soothing lies that he wants to hear.